Bristol City set to welcome back Callum O’Dowda as Robins pair train at HPC with Ireland

Bristol City’s players are on their holidays now following the conclusion of the 2022/23 Championship season.

The Robins’ campaign ended ten days ago on May 8 with a 2-0 win over QPR. Mark Sykes and Sam Bell scored at Loftus Road to secure a 14th-placed finish.

A few things are left to be tied up such as the futures of Jay Dasilva and Tomas Kalas who are out of contract. Both joined from Chelsea in the summer of 2019 and there are offers on the table but that is a saga that is expected to rumble on.

Both have been asked to take considerable pay cuts to remain at Ashton Gate to help keep within the clubs imposed wage structure. Nigel Pearson wants Kalas to remain but with offers elsewhere, they could move on.

As for those contracted, most know where they stand next year but not all will be afforded a long break. For some, they will have to keep themselves fit for the upcoming international period.

It’s a month until the likes of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland are in action but to avoid any rustiness, players will be training to keep themselves in the best condition possible

It’ll be easier for some players though as Ireland have decided to host a four-day training camp at the High Performance Centre in Failand. Mark Sykes and Max O’Leary have been named in a 22-man squad and will train at the place they call home alongside their compatriots.

Ireland face Greece on Friday, June 6 and Gibraltar on Monday, June 19 in qualifying for EURO 2024. Both will be hoping to be a part of the two fixtures.

Sykes - born in Northern Ireland - made his debut against Malta in November - and was on the bench against Latvia and France in March. The 25-year-old has just come off a respectable debut campaign in the Championship with five goals and an assist in 36 matches.

O’Leary meanwhile displaced club captain Dan Bentley during the season and is the firm first choice for goalkeeper. The 26-year-old signed a long-term deal and kept eight clean sheets this term.

The Bath-born goalkeeper is still awaiting his Ireland debut having been an unused substitute in six matches. He’s competing against Premier League trio Gavin Bazunu, Caoimhin Kelleher and Mark Travers but any injury could give him an opportunity.

Callum O’Dowda - who made the move to Cardiff City last summer - will also be familiar to the HPC, having been at Bristol City for several years. He is also part of the 22-man squad that includes Championship winners Josh Cullen and Michael Obafemi.

As for any other Bristol City players who could have their summers cut short, Andi Weimann’s Austria have matches against Belgium (June 17) and Sweden (June 20). Anis Mehmeti made his debut for Albania and they face Moldova (June 17) and Faroe Islands (June 20).

“It’s the modern game for international players,” said manager Nigel Pearson on BBC Radio Bristol when asked of the plan for those players involved internationally.

“You look at Tomas Kalas who has warn himself out over the past couple of years. It’s a part of life, those top players have to get used to players right through the year.

“It’s no longer a situation they get loads of time off in the summer. For all of our players now, the close season is very different to what it was in our day. Pre-season’s is not about getting fit it’s about fine tuning. All the players will stay fit throughout the summer.”

Bristol City players are due to report back for pre-season in mid-June. Their first pre-season match has been announced and it will be against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday, July 29, acting as their final match before the season starts.

More fixtures are expected to be announced with several matches played at the HPC behind-closed-doors. Fans will be unable to attend but they will be available for streaming on Robins TV.